DAKAR (Reuters) -Ivanhoe Mines produced 71,226 metric tons of copper and a record 57,200 tons of zinc in the third quarter from its flagship Kamoa-Kakula and Kipushi mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the company said on Tuesday.
The Vancouver-based miner said robust copper output kept it on track to meet full-year production guidance of 370,000 to 420,000 tons, as mining shifts to higher-grade zones in Kakula’s western section.
Zinc production at Kipushi surged 37% quarter-on-quarter, driven by a programme to remove processing bottlenecks and boost throughput, positioning the mine among the world’s top producers, the company said.
ADDRESSING CHALLENGES AT KAKULA
Ivanhoe faced significant production setbacks earlier this year due to seismic activity at the Kakula Mine that disrupted underground operations and lowered copper grades.
The company has since ramped up efforts to address the challenges, including securing $500 million from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund to expand operations and position Kamoa-Kakula as a top-tier global copper producer.
Reuters reported in September that the company was in constant dialogue with sovereign wealth funds for potential investments to boost production of copper and other critical minerals.
Ivanhoe confirmed the start-up of Africa’s largest copper smelter in early November, supported by a newly installed 60-megawatt uninterruptible power supply and 60 MW of diesel backup.
The smelter will process all concentrate from Kamoa-Kakula’s three concentrators and produce up to 700,000 tons of sulphuric acid annually, a key reagent in the copperbelt.
At Kipushi, Ivanhoe maintained its 2025 zinc production guidance of 180,000 to 240,000 tons.
(Reporting by Yassin Kombi. Writing by Maxwell Akalaare Adombila. Editing by Pratima Desai and Mark Potter)
